


Stranger

by CentralFirstLibrary



Series: Come Get Y'all's Juice [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alpha Bro And Dave Are The Same Exact Person, Alternate Universe - Derse/Prospit Royalty, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Commoner/Royal, Derse and Prospit, Hal Is A Dumbass And I Love Him, Love Letters, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other, Prospit (Homestuck), no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24896749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CentralFirstLibrary/pseuds/CentralFirstLibrary
Summary: There are just some things you shouldn’t do as a joke. One of those things is writing to the prince of Prospit a passionate letter about everything you hate about him and how you would do a better job at ruling than his family ever could. You can’t write that and NOT expect something in return, can you, Hal?
Relationships: Auto-Responder | Lil Hal/John Egbert
Series: Come Get Y'all's Juice [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799950
Comments: 19
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

It was all supposed to be some joke you pulled, you never expected anything to come out of it. But there you stand, with a letter in your hands, your thumb rubbing the gold seal that keeps the envelope shut. You look at the deliverer and mutter your thanks as you carefully pop the seal off, keeping it in your palms. It was a week ago that you wrote to the prince. You didn't think it would get to him, you know the royal family is busy and that he gets hundreds of letters from smitten ladies from the kingdom and beyond. You just had to be a smartass and write him a letter all about how you caught him picking his nose and then sniffing his finger. You just had to talk about all the things he does that you hate. His attitude, the stress he puts on the village works when he escapes the castle to get into trouble. Most people would give the prince love letters. 

You, HAL STRIDER, gave him a disgust letter. You gave him a disgust letter and you got one in return. 

to my stranger, 

i don't typically write responses to the gifts i recieve unless they're from the other royals. god forbid i don't write them back and we have a war in our hands. that is the last thing i need to be blamed for. even then, i am not the one writing them. typically it's a doll doing the writing for me. do you know what a doll is? i know nothing about you so i really am out of my comfort at the moment. any way. 

i am writing you back simply because i need you to know something very important. you are rude, foul mouthed, perverse, and generally a smart alec for taking the time to write such a letter to the prince of your kingdom. 

thank you.

_What?_

as you probably know, last month was the day of my grandmother's death. my nanna was very important person in my life and her death caused me to fall into a slump i feared i would never escape from. your letter saved me. i find myself looking through all my other letters in hopes that i might find another humorous one from you to make me laugh again.

i look forward to hearing more from you. 

your stranger, 

johnathan of prospit :B

Staring down at the letter in your hands you look at the seal, you stare at the emblem and the handwriting. As the deliverer leaves you run inside and head right into your room, earning yourself a side eyed look of confusion from your brother as you race up the stairs to hide it under your bed. You sit on your bed and cover your face with your palms. The prince of Prospit wrote you back. You were an asshole and it made him happy? You have no idea what's going on but what you do know is, you have to write him again. 

_i look forward to hearing more from you._

He wants you to write him again. The _prince_ of _Prospit_! 

Flopping onto your side you screech into your pillow, still holding the wax seal in your palm. You take a moment to regain your cool before standing back up and putting the wax seal away in your desk. You'll keep it. It's not the house seal, it's the prince's personal seal and you have it to keep. Pulling your chair out you sit down and pull out some paper. You grab your ink and your pen and think about what to write him. 

My stranger,

Can I really call you "My stranger" if I know what your name is? I did sign my name in my first letter too, so we aren't exactly strangers. H.S. 

Anywho.

I do know what a doll is. They're the workers that write all the letters and other written pieces to the people or to whoever you desire. I may not be a nobleman but I am not a complete fool. Then again, I can't make it seem like I am not a fool simply because I know the tasks a doll has. Of course, I would know what one is, I really would be an idiot if I didn't know what my own job entailed. You say you don't know much about me so I suppose we can use this as an icebreaker. Let's get to each other, your highness. 

As previously mentioned, I work as a doll inside the city walls. I'll assign you with a task of your own: Find out how many letters that have been written to you that have been my own work. I wish you the best of luck. 

I quite like my job, I get to travel a lot because of it but I choose to try and work within the walls because I don't like leaving my family too much. My brothers may be pains but (and you cannot repeat these words to them, I have my pride.) I love them dearly. I love writing and bringing people together who otherwise are unable to do so themselves. To think that one of my letters to you would bring us together. I think one fact per letter is enough to get us started your highness. I look forward to hearing more about you. 

Your stranger,

H.S

P.S: What is that :B about? "B" what? You are an odd man, Johnathan of Prospit.

You sign the paper with a smile before looking around your room for your waxing kit. You have to grab an envelope, you have plenty laying around, and seal it before taking it to the firm to get it shipped out. Shipping things to the royal family is expensive even if they don't hold any real authority over the people anymore. They're just public figures at this point. The point is, you can ship it out for free if you do it from work. 

Once you get your hands on an envelope and melt down some old wax from your kit on your desk, you seal the letter inside and grab some of your cologne. You spray it in the air and then waft the envelope through the air you sprayed. You tuck it in your bag and grab your boots. As you run down the steps you run right into your brother, your face flushed as you are knocked off your feet and against the stairs. 

DIRK: What are you in a rush for? I was just about to grab you to tell you dinner is ready, D is on his way home.

HAL: I have to run by work and drop something off, I'll be right back. 

You don't even bother to give him an explanation. You just get up and jog out the door, running straight to your writing firm.

You are really writing the prince handwritten letters and getting them in return. You didn't expect it to become a regular part of your life after this.


	2. Chapter 2

my stranger,

a few things to start us off with:

the b is my face! isn't it silly? the colon is my eyes and the capital b makes my teeth when i smile! i used to give myself that face in my drawings according to to my father and i suppose it never left? the second thing is, h.s. is NOT a name! they are initials and it's not very helpful. until i find out what your name is, you will be my stranger. lastly, are we really going to only do one fact a letter? it'll be a year before i know anything about you!

just to spite you, i am going to give you so many facts about me that not a lot of people know. we are going to be friends whether you like it or not. the real question is, where do i begin?

oh! you're a doll. i find that fascinating. i wonder which firm you write for. i'll have to look at the seals i have on the mail to try and figure you out. it'll be like finding a needle in a hay stack. maybe we can make a game out of it! i love playing games. it can be a part of my assignment. we can make a bet out of how long it'll take before i find out exactly who has the balls to call me "an intitled prick who doesn't think of the consequences of his actions to those around him". you really are a funny guy, my stranger.

i like funny people, especially funny people who don't see me as just a prince.

this is why i get dolls to write for me, i always lose track of what my intentions were. i was going to tell you things about me no body really knows! 

only the people who live and work in the estate know, not to mention my family, but i really like rabbits. i have a flemmish giant named casey, she's so big she has her own room right across my own. the gardeners like her too because she'll eat the uglier fruits and vegetables that they wouldn't give to the cooks and they'll take her droppings to use as fertilizer. i love casey very much, i would fight to death if someone tried to hurt her. i found her as a child when my father was teaching me how to pick strawberries in the garden. a fox had her mother, dead, in their mouth. i cried until my father let us take her inside. she's basically my daughter! even dad calls her his grand daughter. 

i hope you like rabbits too. it's so much easier to make friends with someone you have things in common with. 

i like funny stories and playing pranks. i like staying up and sneaking onto the roof to watch the stars, or watching them from the balcony with casey in my arms. i like hiding in the stables when i don't want to work on my studies and the horses never rat me out, my sister's dog does though. i'm allergic to peanuts but i love the smell of peanut butter cookies when they bake them for galas and other parties. i like sneaking out and trying to see how long i can go without anyone realizing who i am. and i think i'm starting to like writing my own letters. this was fun. thank you for making me laugh and smile again, my stranger.

your stranger, 

johnathan of prospit :B

see? it's my face!!^^

My stranger,

Did you really just write me two pages? You must have more important things to be doing that writing to a man you don't even know. I know I have mentioned you're an odd man but I feel the need to repeat myself just to make my point clear. You're an odd man, Johnathan of Prospit.

I suppose I should tackle this all in order of what you've given me, just to make it a little easier to write. 

Yes, I am a doll. But looking for the firm seals will do you no good. When I am hired I ask those who wish the letter to be sent out to bring their own seals. It feels more genuine that way. You'll just have to really read your letters yourself and see if you can tell the difference. Good luck. 

I have a question for you. You know that it's "haystack" and "nobody", right? There is no reason to separate the words, jack ass.

About rabbits, I like them too. I had one growing up in Derse. His name was Sebastian and he was a feisty little guy. There is no way he was nearly as big as your darling Casey. In fact he, fully grown, could fit in my hands cupped together. The size of a hefty potato or maybe a decent eggplant. I love horses too, I used to be a stable boy with my brother but we had to move. i'm sorry you're allergic to peanuts. If it makes you feel any better you aren't missing much, no matter how good it smells. 

It warms my heart that I am the reason you are enjoying writing, no matter how odd the cause is. Maybe my next task is to get you to practice your penmanship. Your handwriting is atrocious. It'll be right up there with you hiring me as your personal jester to keep making you laugh. I bet you'd pay really well for that, wouldn't you? It would be a win-win situation. You get to laugh and meet me, and I get to be a shithead to your face. Think about it.

Your stranger,

H.S

my stranger,

you're from derse? what made you come to prospit? was it me? did you fall in love with me the first time you saw me visiting for a council meeting my father was holding? hehe just kidding! you seem much too cool to leave your country for something so silly as me. i have been told that before though! feel free to fall for me now that you're here though. >:B

that is me smirking and wiggling my brows at you by the way. i've got quite the way with making silly faces. i hope it captures your heart.

i am curious as to why you moved for real, though. i was friends with a member of their royal court growing up. derse is a beautiful place. the architecture and the food is to die for. you can't tell anyone i said this (a secret for a secret) but prospit is so boring, i'd love to live in derse.

i'm happy to hear that you like bunnies, maybe one day when i've secured my role as your friend we can get a set of rabbits together. raise them as a family. that wouldn't be too silly right? leave it to me to say something weird...

how’s my hand writing in this by the way? i slowed down how quickly i wrote this just so it would look better. writing is your job so i can’t slack on my half, it’s got to look just as nice. then again dolls typically use type writers so i think i’m fine! Speaking of writing skills... it is definitely “hay stack” and “no body”. next thing you’re going to tell me is that ass hole is one word and not two. that would just be ridiculous.

i just asked my dad as i am writing you this about hiring a jester and that alone made him laugh. he said that we don’t live in the medieval times and jesters aren’t really a thing. what a shame, it would have been a straight shot way to meeting you. our love will be postponed, i was really looking forward to it but i guess we will just have to keep writing each other letters until the world says it’s time for us to meet. you have started to fall for me right? 

i am sitting in the garden watching casey graze and it’s looking like it is going to rain so we will have to go inside soon. do you like rainy days? i don’t, they make me feel like i can’t do anything so i end up sleeping in my room with casey until the rain passes. hopefully, they’re just dark clouds and they’ll pass over us without a single drop touching the ground. i can’t take casey out until the mud dries when it rains because she’ll try to roll in the mud and you can’t bathe a rabbit. i’d let her roll around in all the mud she wanted if i could. 

maybe i do spoil her too much. 

your stranger, 

johnathan of prospit


	3. Chapter 3

My stranger,

There is nothing wrong with spoiling someone you love as long as you know when to pull back. Besides, she's a rabbit, there's no harm in spoiling her rotten as long as you don't feed her sweets too often. People love to give rabbits carrots but little do they know that they have so much sugar and can seriously harm them. It's right up there with apples, pears, bananas. They are full of so much water and sugar that it can destroy their systems. But let the damn girl roll around in the dirt. You can let the dirt dry up and then brush the clumps out before wiping her down in a damp cloth that isn't too wet to make her sick. I know rabbits aren't rodents but a dust bath can be good for them. Let her have some fun, what kind of evil man are you? 

You're right up there with your father. I say we bring jesters back just so I can get hired and be an ass to you, being an ass on paper is much harder than being one in person. You're really laying the love letter aspect on thick, aren't you? You must be really dense because I was pretty sure I was giving the opposite of love to you. Maybe you should reread the first letter I sent you. All six pages of it. Read it again before continuing this one, I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression, your highness. 

Now that you got your mind in order (I hope, but I highly doubt it) I can continue. 

Your handwriting did improve, give yourself a pat on the back, but you keep on separating your words. I do tend to use typewriters for my work, they're heavy and a pain to lug around and even with the years how used to their weight I have gotten, I hate them. If it wasn't for the fact that it would put me out of a job, I would teach people how to write by hand neatly. Then I could learn their handwriting style and still write their letters for them. Maybe it wouldn't put me out of a job. We could work on the concept together. Anything to get me out of not having to lug my typewriter up steep hills. The fact that I am not extremely muscular is something I cannot wrap my head around. Maybe it is my eating habits.

I'm getting distracted, your attention span must be contagious. 

As to why we moved. It's a bit of a touchy subject. We were exiled from the country. My brother got into some trouble, something he shouldn't have been punished for, for he was in the right and was only protecting himself, and we were forced to leave. I believe that's all I can speak on the matter without my brother's permission. 

But yes, Derse is beautiful. At least if you're only looking at it as a whole and not the little details. Seeing that you are the prince I wonder if it is wise to tell you these things but then again, what will you do? Kick me out? Stop writing me letters? Oh, the horror. Derse loves to seem beautiful on the outside, it uses the lovely housing given to it's people and the food we are able to grow and eat as a cover to hide the cruelties the citizens face. I suppose this is why I went to hard on you, I cannot tolerate slacking and dismissiveness to the people. I have lived with it my whole life and it infuriates me when I see such things just get pushed to the side. 

Maybe I will become your friend, having a friend on the outside could be good for the world. Give you more perspective on why you should really stop running away from the palace. You are going to get someone hurt one of these days, not just yourself.

Your stranger,

H.S

~~P.S: I'd love to get a rabbit again, I'll take you up on that offer one day.~~

my stranger,

is this finally it? can i call us friends now? if that is the case you'll have to give me your name for real! i can't stand this h.s crap any longer. you know what i look like, you know my name, you know where i live, you know about my family and what my hobbies are! it's just not fair. can you at least tell me what you look like? i would love to picture a face to these words if i cannot have a voice to them. 

we are going to be friends and that means getting to know each other properly! all i know about you is that you're a dersian, you're a doll, you have brothers, you're a smart ass, and we are going to get rabbits together. you really need to do a better job at crossing things out if you don't want them to be read, stranger. i think my first act as your friend is letting you have my nickname. you don't have to keep calling me stranger, you can call me john. nearly everyone i am close to does.

i want to know every thing about you, stranger. even if it takes ten pages and hours to read. we can make a game out of it. i'll start first. what color are your eyes?

your friend, 

john ~~athan~~ of prospit

my eyes are blue! they're pretty basic. are your's brown?

I'm afraid not, unless I'm not standing in a sunny spot. My eyes are somewhat..red.

red eyes? that's so cool! i wish i had a cool eye color like that. blue eyes are boring.

what about your hair? you know i have dark brown hair.

I always thought your hair was black. My hair is blonde, John.

you called me john! :B we really are friends now. there is no escaping it. okay okay. favorite food?

There is a bakery in town that sells really good beef patties. They're stuffed pastries. I could eat thousands of them.

mine is this dish one of the maids would make when i was little. i'll have to ask my dad about it.

it was some sort of stew that had a mashup of everything in it. nanna said that it was her favorite food growing up in the country.

i think that's why i liked it so much. do you have any hobbies other than writing, stranger? 

Music. My eldest brother is a musician. Sometimes we'll sing together when he's home.

His sister was a violinist and he was her accompanist. During the holidays if we are lucky he'll play for fun instead of for work.

why do you say it like that? is his sister not also yours? also, does he play the piano? i do!

one day i can play for you and possibly hear you sing. you've got a way with words so i can only imagine how good of a singer you are.

Yes, his sister is not my sister, and yes he plays the piano. My brother isn't biologically our brother. He adopted us when we were babies. 

He found us in the winter on his way home from celebrating his birthday. 

It is why he jokes that we were his birthday gift from the world and why we celebrate our birthdays on the same day.

Now before you ask, it is December 3rd. Yours is April 13th, correct?

it is! oh man it's bad enough i share my birth day with my older cousin.

i couldn't imagine sharing a birth day with that many people in my family.

what kind of bunny was sebastian? what did he look like?

what kind of flowers would you like someone to send you if you got to choose?

what's your favorite fruits? mine are strawberries. i'm finding that i like lot of things that come in red.

your writing, strawberries, jams, even the tulips in the garden. 

...

my stranger, 

it's been a while since i've received a letter from you. i hope you are doing alright. i'll continue to write you as i have been just in case you are just away for some reason. please stay safe. i look forward to your letters, i think i've gotten used to the mail coming in at the same time that i've even begun to wake up early so i could be there when the guards collect the mail. i wonder what you're doing now as i write this letter to you. would it be wrong of me to try and find out where you are to make sure you're okay? that would be an abuse of power and destroy the mystery of our newfound friendship. i'll try my very best to be patient. 

your friend,

john <3


	4. Chapter 4

You have made a serious mistake. You completely forgot to write to him and tell him you'd be away for a few weeks due to work and you have come home to a stack of letters on the kitchen table waiting for you. Your eldest brother is sitting at the table, drinking something warm- you can tell because his glasses fog up a little every time he takes a sip- as he rests his hand on the stack. As you move to put your suitcase down, he looks up at you and smirks. 

DAVE: you got a girlfriend or something

HAL: He's just a friend.

He blinks and takes his hand off the stack, pushing them towards you. You count them and look at the dates on the envelopes, putting them in order so you know which way to read them in. This is going to take a while to sit down and get through. 

Ten letters.

Ten letters and you're sure there are more on the way. You have to write to him and get them to him as quickly as you can because he is probably worrying his ass off over you right now. He probably thinks you're dead. Taking a deep breath you take your hair clips out and run your fingers through your hair to push your bangs back properly. 

Looking down at your brother you sigh and hold the letters close. 

HAL: I'm going to head back to work and use my typewriter to get the responses out. I'll order food and probably sleep there. If more come in before I'm home, please bring them to me. 

HAL: It's an urgent matter. I'll let you have my apple honey mead in return. It's in my suitcase. Nearly two gallons of it. 

Without another word you turn on your heels and jog right out the front door and down the steps. You run to the firm, not even looking before crossing the street. If you get hit by a car that'll be your problem later, but you aren't thinking about that right now. Why are you so intense about this? You've only been writing letters to John for a few months now. It's typically once a week. He must have been writing them near-daily while you were away. You feel bad for him, you feel bad for the man you only started this up to torment him and be an asshole. 

It's amazing how much a person can change with time. Maybe all his shitty flirting is getting to you. 

Wait what? No. No, no it is not getting to you. You are just messing around with his dork. This dork who spent so much of his time to write you all these letters. You have no feelings for this palace brat who lives to torment the people around him. Why are you even thinking about this? Just keep running you fool.

Finally, you push past the doors and run straight to the dolls' lounge, getting yelled at as your maneuver past the people you work with. 

??????: 9h n9 y9u d9n't-

You yelp as your arm gets tugged on and you look back to see who has grabbed you. You glare at Kankri and pull on your arm until he lets go. It makes you knock the letters everywhere so you bend down to pick them up, rolling your eyes as he begins to speak.

KANKRI: Y9u are supp9sed to 6e h9me, y9u have the next three days 9ff n9w that y9u're 6ack fr9m y9ur assignment in Skia. G9 h9me Hal, d9 y9u kn9w the c9nsequences 9n y9ur 69dy fr9m 9verw9rking? Y9u-

Taking a deep breath you stand up and look him right in the eyes, cutting him off.

HAL: Your brother is sleeping with my brother, go yell at him about it.

The look of shock on his face is all you need to bolt into the dolls' lounge. You move to the closet and grab your typewriter case out of your shelf. Lugging it over to the sofa, you set it on the table and open it up. You rerun the ribbon through and move around, scrambling around to grab some paper.

HAL: Wait- _Shit_! 

You forgot your seal at home. It- It's fine. He won't notice. He won't, right? You go back into the closet and grab your work seal. You never use this shit. It's dusty. Wiping it off you grab the collum of wax and a candle to light. You reorganize the envelopes by their dates and line the paper up in the machine. You get your indentations set up and use your small letter opener of a sword to slice the first envelope. You take a deep breath and sit back in your seat, slicing through all the letters and spreading them across the table.

You have a long night ahead of you. You don't know where to begin. You consider reading them one at a time and writing a response to each as you read, you then think about writing a letter first, apologizing for not warning him of your absence. You think-

DIRK: Dude, what did you say to Kankri? I think you broke him.

Blinking, you look up and watch as your brother walks into the room pushing a cart towards you. It's full of mail. He's probably getting ready to go on a delivery run. Shit. Okay, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to send these out huh?

HAL: I told him about D and 'kat so he would leave me alone. He was going to kick me out of the firm because I have off. 

HAL: I just needed to get a hold of my typewriter so I could send out some personal letters. 

DIRK: To your penpal? You were starting to form a small mountain in the kitchen with all those letters. What was that all about anyway?

A look of guilt grows on your face as you crack your knuckles and cross your legs. 

HAL: I forgot to tell him I was going away for work.

DIRK: Dude- What the fuck? 

Dirk walks up to you and looks over the letters and you stack the golden wax seals. You have kept every single one he's sent you. They're in a cup on your dresser. He sighs and picks one up, scanning through the words before setting it down and flicking you on the back of the head. 

DIRK: I'm pretty sure Tav' is delivering the ones to the castle if you want to catch up to him and go. 

Your face burns up at the idea and you just turn back to your typewriter, flipping him off.

DIRK: Don't give me that shit, the dude wants to meet you. Give him your response in person. 

You shake your head and pull the first letter into your hands, running your eyes over it briefly. Ignorant to the smile forming on your lips as you gaze at his handwriting. You won't admit it but you have missed this shade of blue.

HAL: Maybe another time. Right now I have to read through this and get him a response before he sends out a search team for me.

Dirk scoffs and ruffles your hair before pushing the cart away, leaving you alone in the lounge to read through these papers. Who knows how long you'll be here? 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's ten letters, Hal's denseness, I love Porrim, and the friendship badge is a thing for girl scouts, right?

my stranger,

it is! oh man it’s bad enough i share a birth day with my older cousin. i couldn’t imagine sharing a birth day with that many people in my family. three birth days in one day...just. WOW. birth days can be so much fun. my father takes them VERY seriously. he even helps the cooks with the baking because he wants them to be perfect. i wonder..if your birth day is in december, are you older or younger than me? maybe one day we can attend each other’s parties. do you throw a party on your birth day? what kind of cake would you want?

you would not believe what i just saw. right as i finished writing that sentence i saw a wild rabbit run through the yard from the gazebo. i’m writing this during the break we are taking. i’m getting a painting of casey and i together to celebrate her birth day. it’s not her birth day today but by the time the painting is finished and framed it will be. that brings up my next question. what kind of bunny was sebastian? what did he look like?

did he like to eat flowers? casey does, we’ll go walk through the property and pick all the dandelions and clovers for her to eat. i’ll even pick more than she needs so we can store them to make treats. the gardeners sure do seem to appreciate it. speaking of flowers...

what kind of flowers would you like someone to send you if you got to choose? our gardens are so large, we even have green houses to grow our own for events. i’m sure i could pick them for you and send you as many as you want. did you know there is a breed of sunflowers that grow red? they’re beautiful. i’ve been trying to get my hands on them so we can grow them in the gardens. you should see the gardens, we could even pick some fruits together and make a cake! 

do you like fruit and if so, what’s your favorite fruits? mine are strawberries. i’m finding that i like lots of things that come in red. your writing, strawberries, jams, even the tulips in the garden. i’ll pin the blame on you for that! :B 

well my time is up! i’ll send this letter out on the next break. until next time!

your friend,

john!

.

.

.

my stranger,

it’s been a while since i’ve received a letter from you. i hope you are doing alright. i’ll continue to write you as i have been just in case you are away for some reason. please stay safe. i look forward to your letters, i think i’ve gotten used to the mail coming in at the same time that i’ve even begun to wake up early so i could be there when the guards collect the mail. i wonder what you’re doing as i write this letter to you. would it be wrong of me to try and find out where you are to make sure you’re okay? that would be an abuse of power and destroy the mystery of our newfound friendship. i’ll try my very best to be patient.

your friend,

john <3

.

.

.

it's been four days since the normal date that i would get a letter from you. it's scary and i know you'll write to me the second you can but that doesn't make the restless feeling in my stomach go away. i feel like i drank some milk despite knowing that it doesn't always agree with me. that never stops me from eating cheese or having ice cream. even having a glass of milk with cookies can't be stopped. i have my own bathroom so i am not exactly worried about getting sick. i always say it's worth the pain but when i'm sleeping in my bathroom that night i regret it. 

only to forget all about it the next time i decide to eat something with dairy.

i've been thinking about our future rabbit. rabbits? how many would we get? that's what i've been thinking about. i would love to have a whole family of them, it makes me want to find casey a partner so she can have children of her own. i might have to expand her room if i do that. maybe just make a whole field next to the gardens for them. i'll talk to my father about it, i'm sure he could get someone to make blue prints for it all. i would just have to convince him that i could handle the responsibility of having multiple giants. casey alone is a lot of work. 

i miss you. 

is it weird to miss someone you have never met before? i miss getting up early to wait for your letters. please write me back soon, h.s. i am not good at being patient. i'm the youngest in my family and i was spoiled as a child, i got what i wanted whenever i asked. i'll pray for your safety. 

.

.

.

casey broke out of her room today, it took us hours to get her back inside. i think she knew what she was doing. she just wanted to run about and burn out her energy, and it's been raining so much i haven't been able to let her graze in the garden. i've had to go to the stable to take hay and the landscaper isn't able to even work on her new hutch because of all of it. all this being said.

it was a lot of fun to chase her around. jade, my sister, had to lock her dog up so he wouldn't chase her around. even if he did, i think casey would have outrun him in a heartbeat. i have to lock her door now when i leave her alone or when i'm going to sleep. we even got her a harness meant for dogs because she's so big. i think once the ground dries up i'll take her for a walk around the property and maybe even around town. how funny would it be if i ran into you while taking casey for a walk? 

we have been writing these letters to each other for about half a year now but even then, i don't know what i would say to you if we met face to face. i think i'd get too nervous that i would fumble over my words or even throw up. i have really bad stage fright. dad says i'll get better with practice. but how am i suppose to practice if i don't get to meet you first?

we are starting to get ready for the harvest festival already, i wish we didn't have to go so crazy for a silly holiday. it stresses the land workers out so much and all we do is eat. sure a LOT of food gets donated but i think we should do a year where we just do takeout and surprise whoever delivers the food with a crazy tip. wouldn't that be nice? 

my dad is calling me now so i guess that's the end of this letter. i'll write to you again tomorrow after i send this one out. sleep well and take care of yourself, okay?

.

.

.

i know you were probably joking about getting a rabbit with me. i joke around about a lot of things but i don't joke around about rabbits. they're my favorite animal in the whole world! if someone asked me if i could meet a unicorn or have as many rabbits as i could take care of, i'd say "screw unicorns" and i would choose the rabbits. i brought up getting casey a partner and expanding a space for them to my dad. he said i'd have to be willing to put a serious amount of my time into taking care of them. that even then i might need some help taking care of them

you worked in the stables you said? maybe being my personal jester isn't the job i can give you but taking care of the rabbits by my side could be. you don't have to say yes or give me an answer right away, just think about it. it could be fun. and how different can taking care of rabbits be from being a stableboy? feeding them lots of hay..walking them..brushing their hair..cleaning their feet? i think together we could handle so many rabbits. 

your birth day is soon. is there anything special you want to be gifted? i bet i could pull some strings and get you whatever you wanted. i bet that makes me sound really bratty but if it's for my best friend i think it's fine. it would make you happy and that would make me happy. hopefully you’ll write me back before your birth day so maybe i can get you something. if not you’ll have to tell me what you want for yule. i expect a full list of things, h.s.

where ever you are i hope it’s beautiful and that you’re having a good time. write me about it, maybe?

.

.

.

it was the harvest festival today so i don’t have a lot of time to write you today. the good news is we will be in the city for parts of the day so i’ll keep an eye out for you and if we meet you’ll hear my thoughts i had before we saw each other face to face. it will be so funny to look back to this letter after we meet. i hope we have a good time. i’ll introduce you to my family and you’ll finally meet casey after everything. i can show you around the estate and introduce you to the horses. 

i am writing you this as i am getting ready for the day so please don’t tease me too much for how bad my hand writing is in it. there might even be a few water stains on the paper because my hair is dripping EVERYWHERE. i just got out of the tub and i woke up late but i knew i had to write you because i wouldn’t have time to at all today after the festival is over. i’ll be so tired i’ll probably end up falling asleep in the feild with casey again, you’d be surprised how often that happens. or would you, we’ve talked so much and you know i’m a trouble maker so i don’t think you would be surprised? 

any who! 

i hope you have a wonderful harvest festival, i hope you get to eat lots of the food you enjoy. i know casey will. one of our gardeners made her a cake out of hay that was compressed and fruits to decorate it. it was so cute i started to cry when i saw it last night. i worry about spoiling her too much but then i think about what you said and how she’s getting old. i try to not think about the second half of that sentence but it’s hard to avoid. where was i? i wish i didn’t get distracted so easily. 

oh yeah. spoiling casey. i worry about doing it too much but then i think about what you said. there’s no harm in spoiling her as long as i’m not feeding her the wrong things. she’s my baby but she’s also an old lady. i’m gonna give her the best life she can get. giants typically live to six years and casey is nearing on seven already. if she wants a hay cake she is going to get a hay cake dammit.

you can’t hear it but that’s my uncle calling me to come downstairs. the festivities are beginning. keep an eye out of me! i hope i’m not too handsome for you to handle. you’re not allowed to swoon unless i’m close enough to catch you.

.

.

.

i didn’t catch anyone who swooned so i’m pretty sure that i didn’t see you or maybe i did. maybe we both were too caught up with every thing to stop and say hello. i still wish we had, i am just worried about you because you haven’t been writing me back. dad and the others are going to donate a lot of food today but have to stay home because casey has her vet appointment today. it’s not for anything crazy so don’t worry. we just want to make sure everything is working the way it should. i worry a lot about her. come to think about it, you and casey are the things i worry the most about.

i’m sitting in casey’s room right now, eating cheese and feeding her her cake. it’s a really nice day today so maybe after her appointment i’ll throw a sweater on and take her for a walk around the property before it gets too cold to. it’s nearly winter and if you just breathe the air in it smells like snow is upon us. i look forward to it, playing in the snow, going ice skating, and plenty of hot chocolate and cider. my sister’s birth day, your birth day, the candle lighting ceremony, and we can’t forget yule and the new years celebration. 

despite being a spring time baby, i love the winter.

then again, i don’t think i dislike any season. summer is the worst of them all but i don’t hate it. i just hate how many times i need to bathe to keep cool because my father doesn’t let me go to the pond alone. when i was a child i nearly drowned and despite the fact that i am a much better swimmer and i can stand up even with the water to my shoulders he still won’t let me. some times i’ll sneak out at night for a good swim. it’ll be so cold that i have to run back inside and dry off. then my bed is nice and warm so i’m able to sleep well.

that’s why i like the winter. it’s cold outside and i can bundle up in bed all warm and sleep like a baby. i wonder that your favorite season is. i think you are the type of person to enjoy spring the most. i’ll leave you with that for now, it’s time to take casey out now. stay safe, my friend. 

.

.

.

it’s my sister’s birth day today and she is trying to get me to go out to celebrate with her. i told her no because well.. i’m not in the mood to party. your birth day is coming up and the fact that we will not be celebrating it together saddens me. we have family over today, but some times they’re just so snobby or loud that i just hide in my room. that’s what i’m doing right now. i’m sitting in bed with casey at my side writing you this letter. i’ll probably be called down for cake and such but i think i’ll stay here until the time comes. all i can do is hope that whenever i hear back from you that maybe i’ll be face to face. 

i’ve been thinking about it. how funny it would be if i walked by you, like how i wanted during the harvest festival. i wouldn’t even know it was you but you would know it was me. would you stop me and tell me you’re you? would you keep walking by to keep the illusion? what if i walked by and you didn’t even notice because you were busy with something? these are the thoughts that keep me up at night. i hope you wouldn’t keep walking. i hope you would stop and call out for me. maybe i think about it too much. there’s just something about you that makes me smil-

??????: What's all this abo+ut? Sho+uldn't yo+u be ho+me and no+t writing lo+ve letters

At the feeling of a hand on your shoulder, you jump and look up at who scared the shit out of you. Curse this woman, she always sneaks up on you. She grins down and takes the letter out of your hands, grabbing another with her free hand. She scans through them, smiling at the words.

HAL: They aren’t love letters, Porrim, and I didn’t write them. They were written to me.

PORRIM: No+t a lo+ve letter, my ass. These are the tho+ughts that keep me up at night? There’s just so+mething abo+ut yo+u that makes me smile? The co+mment abo+ut swo+o+ning? What kind o+f flo+wers wo+uld yo+u like so+meo+ne to+ send yo+u if yo+u go+t to+ cho+o+se?

You reach up and take the letters from her, putting them back on the table. She chuckles and ruffles your hair before sitting in front of you, peering over all the letters you got from John.

PORRIM: Yo+ur latest assignment was to+ write lo+ve letters to+ the po+int that the bride to+ be invited yo+u to+ the wedding. Yo+u wo+uld think yo+u wo+uld kno+w what a lo+ve letter lo+o+ks like- fo+r crying o+ut lo+ud Hal, who+ever this is is asking yo+u so+ they can send yo+u flo+wers. 

HAL: Exactly why I know that these aren’t love letters. John is just my friend. 

PORRIM: If yo+u say so+...They even drew a heart after their name!

Rolling your eyes, you continue to read the letters. You don’t have time to argue with her. You really need to finish reading these and get to writing. And so- you read.

there’s just something about you that makes me smile. before i sleep i reread your letters that you sent me and they make me relax enough to sleep peacefully. even my father is curious as to who i’ve been writing so much to. you can probably tell that i’ve been writing all of these by hand (i hope my handwriting as gotten better. i’ve been really taking my time and practicing for you) but to every one else it’s weird to see me writing so much. i told him all about the things we talk about and he said you’re a brave man for being so up front. he applauded you for your courage and laughed saying he’d love to meet the man behind the red writing. i told him he’d have to wait. i get to meet you first, i’ve waited longer than him.

i will end this letter here because i have to go watch jade open her gifts but i also have to finish preparing your birth day letter to make sure it gets to you in time. be safe, h.s. 

.

.

.

this letter will either get to your address on your birth day or the day after. either way, happy birth day! i was thinking about how you said your favorite food are those meat patties? i was going to go into the town and get you some but then i realized i don’t know which bakery you get yours from! you have to tell me exactly which bakery you go to so i can gift you them. i was tempted to go to every bakery and make an order for them just so you could go to yours and pick them up. it would end up up being a donation to the bakeries you don’t go to. call me desperate all you want, i like giving good gifts.

i really was going to do it but. i found out that there are nearly 30 bakeries in the main city alone. i suppose i could go to each- 

PORRIM: Wait o+ne seco+nd- Guards? Jo+hn? Casey is a rabbit? 

You look up from the letter in your hands and glare forward at Porrim. You don’t have time for these distractions. It’s already dark out.

PORRIM: Do+ yo+u mean to+ tell me the _prince_ o+f _Pro+spit_ has been writing yo+u lo+ve letters?

HAL: For the last time, they aren’t love letters- and yes. Please let me read in peace.

She stares at you and pinches the bridge of her nose, looking at you incredulously. Putting the letters down she stands up and heads for the door to leave you in the lounge alone, but she stops in the doorway.

PORRIM: I’ll keep you+r secret, but yo+u need to+ apo+lo+gize to+ Kanny. He lo+o+ks traumatized.

HAL: Yeah yeah, I need to get to work.

PORRIM: Go+o+d luck, Hal.

Taking a deep breath you sit up properly and cross your legs again, taking your shoes as you get comfortable. You are tempted to lock the doors to have some peace but you know sometimes Meulin and Callie work late so you can’t do that. You swear if someone interrupts you again you’ll snap. 

Christ. You sure are getting heated about messages that are apparently not even love letters. 

Anyway. Keep reading.

i suppose i could go to each one and cross the ones that don’t sell them off. that could take weeks! maybe if i’m lucky i can get it done in time for yule. so instead i decided to wait until i get a response from you to send you money and you can guy all the patties you can get with the money. even if that means spreading the money out through the year and getting a few every day!

what did you do for your birth day, i know that even when this gets to you and if you’re able to respond it’ll be past your birth day but i still want to know. you can’t leave out a single detail. i want to be able to imagine it as if i was there by your side, celebrating with you. i still don’t know if these means you are older or younger than me, by the way. i’ll find out eventually but i just need to know, you know? 

i know you’re not here to hear it but i played the piano for you today. i played happy birth day, and a few traditional pieces. one day i’ll get to play for you for real. i look forward to that day.

.

.

.

my dad took me to look at rabbits and you should have seen the look on his face when i told him that i don’t want another rabbit. i had to reassure him that i meant not yet. i won’t get a rabbit until we meet, h.s. when ever that maybe. 

despite not taking a rabbit home for casey, we still looked at them. it’s amazing how small these rabbits seem when you’re used to being around a rabbit that is about the size of a three year old child. it was really hard to not scoop them up and run off with them. i would have bought the whole farm if i was allowed. i don’t know if i’ll be able hold off for much longer without you, h.s. casey is already so old. i would like to be a rabbit grand father and i would like you to be one as well before it’s too late. we can make jokes about being old and walk around with canes. 

there was a hare that was bigger than casey, i didn’t think that was even possible but it is! it was a mixed breed. flemish giant and angora. it was a living cloud! if there was any rabbit that would have made me break it would have been her. maybe we’ll get two, a partner for casey and then just a friend. i’ll have to look into seeing if that rabbit will be having babies any time soon. i’ll keep an ear out so that when we meet we can get them together. it’ll be a date!

your friend

john :B

You did it. You finally read of his letters. Taking a deep breath you run your fingers through your hair and make sure everything is line up before resting your fingertips on the keys. You shut your eyes for a moment and begin writing- er. Typing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal's response, his guilt, and his own sense of desperation.

Cracking your knuckles you begin typing your letter, possibly letters. You at least know where to begin and that’s good enough. You have had plenty of practice writing perfectly without thinking about anything, just listening to the words given you and expressing the message clearly. But right now? You think it’s best if you just write down everything that comes to your head. A pure letter. Starting off with an apology.

My stranger,

Oop nope. Cross that out. Try again.

My ~~stranger,~~ friend,

I have to apologize to you, John. I understand you must have been worried so much over what was going on in my life. I’m sorry for scaring you like that but, I’ll try my best to reassure you that I am alright. I was away for all the time because I had an assignment in Skia. It was possibly one of the most stressful yet fun assignments I have ever had all my time working as a doll. They even celebrated my birthday when my gift from my brother arrived. If it wasn’t for that they wouldn’t have even known I was working on my birthday. Speaking of birthdays, it’s one word, John. It’s birthday, not birth day. You have a serious problem with separating your words. Sorry, I’m supposed to be apologizing and explaining why I have probably given you a mass amount of grey hairs out of stress. I was only supposed to be away for a week and a half, but things dragged on for so long I forgot to tell you that I was even going away. 

I really am sorry, John. I hope you’ll forgive me for not being able to respond to all of your letters. I have them all in front of me as I type this out to you, yes I am using a typewriter. I type faster than I write. I don’t want to waste any time getting my response out to you. Please don’t worry about me, I am not a troublemaker like you. The key words are: like you. I can be a troublemaker but not in the sense that I will get hurt or start a physical fight unless it is absolutely necessary. I bet you’ll want to hear about what the assignment is so I’ll try to tell you as quickly as I can so I can send out this letter and answer all of your questions you’ve left for me. 

I got to write love letters for work. That’s not much of a surprise, I tend to get those jobs easily, but this one was just different. It was a pair of childhood friends who had been writing to each other while the other was over seas. They found that their friendship grew into something new as they wrote to each other and the lady, the one I was starting to write for, was scared to express that her feelings had turned more romantic than platonic. I helped them express their feelings and things started to escalate rather quickly. They both love each other they were both just too scared to admit it in fear of ruining the bond they had. As we were writing out the letters, he came home to see her. He paused his work to propose to her and now they’re going to get married in the summer.

They even invited me to the wedding, John, thanking me for bringing them together. Saying they wouldn’t have been able to do this without me. I don’t admit it to anyone, but I love weddings. Again, another secret you’ll have to keep for me. 

Now that you know what I have been up to, I can finally start answering your questions. From the top:

I am pretty sure I am older than you, I turned twenty this year. As for birthday parties? I like to stay home, if I am able to, and eat some cherry pie whilst reading. Sometimes my brothers will try and surprise me with a party between us and some friends. We’ll just play some games together and even build things in the snow. This was my first party party. There was cake, and drinking. They even got me to sing. I suppose anything is possible if you’re inebriated enough. I cannot promise that we will be at each other’s birthday celebrations but who knows what the future will bring? I certainly don’t. 

With a heavy sigh, you take the paper out and mark it with a small 1 in the corner before setting it to the side and quickly replacing it with a new one in the machine. You have a good feeling you’ll run out of paper completely by the end of this. You’re going to need a bigger envelope for this.

About Seb, Seb is his nickname by the way, he was a Jersey Wooly. We got him as my first pet because they were known to be good natured and docile. What a crock of shit. If you think you are a troublemaker, you are nothing compared to what Seb was. He would eat my papers, knock my cups over, run all over my bedroom when I let him roam free, and one time our old apartment nearly burnt down and I blame him. He was an evil little rabbit, but there was only love in my heart for him. Sometimes I miss him when I see rabbits in fields, knowing you have a bond with your rabbit brings me joy and makes me smile. As for what he looked like..he was a grey rabbit with tufts of wool on the tips of his ears. A beautiful rabbit. 

He didn’t really eat flowers, we would take hay from the stables home for him. So he ate well. Good, high quality hay. 

I didn’t know that red sunflowers existed, but I am intrigued now that you taught me about them. I bet they are beautiful, But flowers I would like in a bouquet I would be gifted. I’d have to think about it for a moment. I never got to choose what flowers I would get. Alright, I’ve thought about it. I like roses, peonies, and hydrangeas. Big fluffy flowers. Just for pinning the blame on me for your newfound love of red, I demand any flowers I receive must be red. I claim all the red flowers in your gardens as my own, you can even tell your father I said that.

Fruits..I quite like strawberries. Did you know there is a breed of strawberries that just naturally grow white? It’s nothing about their ripeness, that’s just the way they are? I think they’re beautiful, but even with how well I get paid I could never afford to get them. We have an orange tree in the backyard that my brother, Dirk, planted. Sometimes when it produces fruits they’re so good candied. 

I am just noticing that the ink in the ribbon is running out. I’ll try to push as much as I can before getting up to replace it with new. I bet you’re disappointed as you read this because it’s not the red ink I wrote you with. If I could get my hands on some typewriter ribbon that was red, I’d only use it for you. Would that be too cute? Probably, but definitely not as cute as picturing you waiting at the gates like an excited puppy for the mail. Again, I am sorry for making you worry. I’m safe now and I’m back in prospit so you can finally relax. You did so well being patient, John. I almost feel bad for keeping the mystery of our friendship alive. One day we will meet face to face, that is a promise.

Look at us, back to the topic of rabbits. I think rabbits would be nice. Start off with three? Enough for them to keep each other company. Who knows, maybe by the end of this we’ll be rabbit farmers ourselves. The royal prince of Prospit, a rabbit farmer. The people would die of laughter. Leave it to me to make an icon a common man. It would be fun, wouldn’t it. We can work on the blueprints together and help with the building, make the rabbits their own home. Before we know it we’ll have tens of thousands of rabbits, they breed so quickly. We’ll have to separate them so we don’t have too many.

Too many rabbits, is that even a thing? I must be losing it. And John?

I missed you too.

I’m sorry I ruined your dream of running into me in the street. I don’t know if I would let you walk by or not. I think I would let you go pass and see how many times it would take for you to realize it was me. It really would be funny, wouldn’t it? Another thing I cannot promise, I can’t promise I won’t tease you for being nervous around me. You shouldn’t be though, I am just me. There’s no reason to fumble over your words.

I hope your Harvest Festival was a good one. This was the first time I didn’t spend it with my brothers, which was odd. I did get to eat plenty of duck though, and I think that made it all so much more worth it. I think your idea is a lovely one. I know whoever got the tip would be so grateful for it. It could really change their life. Perhaps next year you can try it out. Or maybe figure some way to do it all while being able to donate all the food to the people. We can plan it all out together. Maybe I’ll even let you catch me when I swoon. Maybe you’ll be the one swooning and I’ll have to catch you, your highness. 

I hope that with all this writing you can see that I am not joking about getting rabbits together, and if all else fails I might not be able to be your jester but I can still work part time as a regular stableboy. Hell, who says I have to work for your family to see you. I think we are past the need for that. Friends can just see each other. 

What would I want for my birthdadsfuhujea

At the sound of knocking on the door, you slap your hands against the keys and snap to look at who is standing in the doorway. If it’s Porrim coming to distract you again you- It’s your brother, Dirk, with an envelope and a basket in his hands. He looks at you as your glare at him with a sigh. 

DIRK: D told me you were going to stay the night and order food.

He carries the basket over to your side and sets it on the other table. He begins taking food out, as well as plates and utensils out. Setting the table for dinner.

DIRK: But I know you, you’ll get too focused and forget to order food before it’s too late. 

He looks over at your spread of letters again and spots that you’re on your third sheet of paper already. John is going to have plenty of things to read. You stand up, this is the perfect time to grab new ribbon from the cabinet and you’ll have it all ready for when you need to replace the one you’re using. You crack your knuckles and set the new pack on the table and move things around and you focus on the envelope Dirk is holding. You recognize the seal and you quickly snatch it from him.

DIRK: Hey!

You move to sit back down in front of your typewriter, popping the seal off and putting it with the rest you look at your paper and tense. Shit. You made a huge mistake. 

What would I want for my birthdadsfuhujea Sorry. My brother scared me and I slammed my hands down. I also just got my hands on another letter from you. I’m going to read it right after I eat and finish this up. I'm pretty sure I’m nearly done touching up on every subject you’ve given me. But about my birthday gift. I will gladly take meat patties. As for the bakery I go to? It’s Peixes Pastries. Now you don’t have to go on a bakery witch hunt. You’re welcome.

Your friend,

H.S

P.S I really need to change the ink before I reply to this next letter.

Finally, you’ve answered everything. Everything except this new letter. God, he’s probably writing another one or is waiting to send another one out. You’re going to eat and read this. You have no time to waste. So you crack your knuckles and get up, letter in hand and you sit down across from Dirk at the other table. You look over the food and smile at how good it smells. 

Dirk serves you up a bowl of rice and tops it off with plenty of beef and peppers. You love bell peppers. They’re so good! You hold the letter down with your elbow as you grab a fork and begin eating, occasionally reaching to grab more peppers when there is room in your bowl. But you frown at just looking at the first sentence, it grows with each word.

h.s.

stranger, did i do something wrong? was it something that happened because of my family? i hope i haven’t done something to anger you into not responding. is it because i am sending you so many letters? are you even getting these? i hope so. maybe you moved and haven’t had time to tell me. write to me soon, please. even if only to end my worrying. it’s getting harder and harder to sleep peacefully without hearing from you. on top of that, casey had another appointment because we believe something is going on with her hind legs. so much is happening and i know getting a letter from you would make me feel better.

HAL: I’m such a fucking idiot..

i’m laying in casey’s room as i write you this letter, and i will probably do the same when i write the next one tomorrow. i’m scared to leave her side. i know she is old but i can’t handle the thought of her not being at my side. it’s hard enough you aren’t. which is so silly because you’ve never been at my side. i like to imagine you are when i read your letters. i pretend that you are the one reading them to me. i wonder if my imagination is as close to your voice. how spot on is it? i wonder if i am picturing your face perfectly? are you taller than me? or are you shorter than me like i have been imagining. 

please be safe, h.s. if i have been writing to a deadman this entire time, i will never forgive you.

your desperate friend

john

Taking a deep breath you cover your mouth with your palm and run your hand through your hair, breaking up your bangs and making your clips fall to the floor. You feel like shit. You really didn't think that John would get this attached to you. This was all supposed to be some joke. When did it stop being a joke to him? When did it stop being a joke to _you_ ?

DIRK: What happened?

HAL: I'm a dumbass!

DIRK: That's nothing new, but what happened?

You don't bother explaining what happened, you just hold the letter close and put your bowl down. Moving over to where you typewriter is, you set the letter down and move to replace the ribbon with a fresh one. You were really cutting it close with how light and dead the ink was getting. You could have maybe gotten one more paragraph in before you were out completely.

You sit down in front of the machine and you don't replace the paper with new one. You just shift down a line under your side note and begin typing again. You need to apologize and get this out to him. You can't wait until the morning. You're getting this to him tonight, dammit.

P.S I really need to change the ink before I reply to this next letter.

P.P.S: How many times can I say that I am sorry? I just read another letter by you and obviously when you read this you will know I am not dead. I will not die before we meet, John. You will see me face to face, I swear on my life. I swear on the stars, on Sebastian, on red sunflowers, on cherry pie, on anything I hold dear.

Holy shit you're getting intense. This is starting to sound like a love letter, Hal. Are you sure Porrim wasn't onto something?

I am so sorry for making you worry this much, I promise I will make it up to you. I can't spend any more time typing this out. I need to get it to you as quickly as I can.

Your friend

H.S

Grabbing the column of wax, you light the candle and stand up. There is no time left to waste. You take the paper out of the machine and label the corner as you did the others before folding them together and moving to the cabinet to find a decently sized envelope. You look over at your brother and frown as you scurry to put the letter away and seal it. You use your work seal and press it against the puddle of wax.

Taking a deep breath you kneel down to put your shoes on.

HAL: Clean this up for me- don't throw out those seals. I have to run out-

HAL: I don't know when I'll be home but I'll meet you there. I owe you big time.

You ignore your brother as he calls out for you. You have your mind on one thing and that's getting out of this building and running these to him yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the love of all things good in this world, please comment what you think. I'm posting these updates as I am writing them. Six chapters in three days? I am even writing more updates at the moment. Feedback is my fuel source.


	7. Chapter 7

You weren’t thinking properly as you bolted out of the firm, all you know is that you couldn’t wait until the afternoon for this message to get shipped out to John and even then it wouldn’t get to him until the next day at the earliest had you waited. The longer you wait to send the letter out, the more desperate John’s messages to you will get. The longer you wait the more desperate _you’ll_ get. Maybe you should have thought this through a little more. 

It would have only taken a minute to stop at home and change your shoes into your boots, running in your heels was not a smart idea at all. You can lug a suitcase and a typewriter while wearing them, but running through the dirt for an hour all while being dead tired? It’s not as easy.

You’re exhausted.

You’ve never been one for running and even the addition of all the adrenaline coursing through your veins isn’t giving you the help you need. You thought adrenaline was good for when your life is on the line. Maybe subconsciously your body knows that this isn’t _actually_ a matter of life or death. 

So-

Taking a deep breath you lean against a tree and tuck the envelopes under your chin to keep yourself from dropping them as you take your heels off. You pause and tie the laces together before hooking them over your shoulder so you can keep on going. You’re able to properly run like this, faster than how you were jogging in your heels. Even if it hurts the soles of your bare feet. This is a much more tolerable pain.

But why does the estate have to be surrounded by such a dense forest? 

You swear that if it wasn’t for the fact that you’ve been following the stone path, you’d be lost by now. Your feet ache and you are certain that the walk back will only be worse on them. And despite that you swear you _are_ lost. You have been running barefoot for far too long to be heading in the right direction. You want to hit yourself on the head for doing something so reckless- and you almost do but the sight of lamps lighting the path stops you. 

You sigh heavily and continue, breaking down into a slow walk to give your feet a break. You have to be getting close because the lights are getting more dense and then you’re certain that you are there because you can see the guards in front of the main gate. 

HAL: Fucking _finally!!_

Maybe you shouldn’t have shouted that that loud. 

????: Halt!

????: who goes there

You sigh heavily and tense as the guards run towards you, their swords drawn and pointed at you.

HAL: Oh my god- get that shit out of my face I don’t have time for this! Here I-

You reach into your side bag to pull the letters only to have them hit out of your hands, falling everywhere. Your eyes widen and you glare at the guards holding their swords out towards you. You drop to your knees and scurry to pick them up, not wanting them to get damaged. Your feet hurt way too much for this crap.

HAL: You fucking jackasses. That wasn’t necessary. 

You hold the letters close to your chest before shoving them in the chest of the guard standing behind you. 

????: Explain yourself!

HAL: I was going to! Look at the letters you incompetent imbeciles- _I’m_ his stranger! I’m the one who’s been writing to him all this time and I need to get this to him before he sends out another one. 

You elbow the guard behind you and step forward, you hand on the sword to push it down and away from your face. You lost your fear of swords a long time ago, you’d grab it by the blade if you had to. 

HAL: John needs to get this letter. He needs to read it now- right _fucking_ now- do I make myself clear? You are to get these to him. It’s my response and all the letters he wrote me so he- and you idiots know I am the real one. 

The two guards stare at you and it makes you want to rip your hair out of your scalp. You can’t take this anymore. You’ve spent enough time running here. These people are making the seconds tick on and every second added is another bit of John’s anxiety rising. 

HAL: Well what are you waiting for? Go!

And you shove the guard before turning on your heel and heading back. You run your hands over your face and keep your head down as you walk, gathering your thoughts as you try to compose yourself. You don’t hear the guards moving at all so it makes you wonder if they’re reading the letters as you get further and further away. Which now that you think about it, is really embarrassing. You’ve said a lot of shitty things but also lots of embarrassing heartfelt things that you will never recover from someone who isn’t John reading them. Fuck- 

It’s bad enough John has to read that shit.

He’s never going to let you live that down…

Screeching into your palms, you drop to a squat and cover your face again. Ugh you really have to walk this whole way home. You swear your feet are going to bleed at this rate, or at least have popped blisters. But you wonder what hurts more, the guilt you felt- no the guilt you still feel- or the ache in your feet. On the scale, you think they balance each other out. The pain from guilt is starting to fade, or maybe it’s the worrying that is fading, as you get further and further away from the main gate. John will get your letter and all the ones he has written you over all this time and he’ll be able to relax and in turn so will you. 

That is until you hear the clacking of metal as someone is heading your way. You tense up and move off the path, heading a few trees in so you can hide. A bad feeling settling in your stomach.

????: Your highness! Please come back!

And you hear a voice you’ve only heard so many times but you know exactly who it belongs to. You stick your back up against the tree and continue to hide, only leaning over to look around slightly. 

JOHN: no- no he was here! i need to see him, you wouldn’t understand.

A frown grows on your face and you watch as he runs forward down the trail. You’re going to have to move deeper through the woods and try to not get lost. You’ll have to follow the path as best as you can. Especially without any shoes on. You really are a glutton for punishment, aren’t you, Hal? 

Carefully you walk from tree to tree, making sure you aren’t spotted as you see guards walking back up the path to head to the castle. John is walking with his head down, and for a moment you think you see tears. It breaks your heart but you know that it isn’t time for him to meet you yet. 

When will it be though?

Pressing your hand against the bark you watch him walk behind the guards, wiping his face. He stops and looks around, making you tense when you think he’s spotted you. He stomps his foot down and turns on his heel. 

JOHN: no. no FUCK this! i am not missing out on this. i need to meet him.

He moves to start walking and you step back, you and John both freeze. You stepped on a twig and it snapped.

Fuck..

You drop to your knees and cover your mouth. Shit shit shit. When you look up, red eyes meet blue and you press up against the tree. You’ve been spotted.

JOHN: stranger..?

You look down and cover your face entirely by your palms. You can’t believe you were so careless, you should have watched your step!

JOHN: please look at me..i need to memorize your face. 

JOHN: it’s only fair. 

You feel his hands on your wrists and he peels your hands away, smiling as he kneels in front of you. He moves his hands to cup your cheeks and you are grateful for the dark of the night to hide the red you can feel warming up under your skin. Then again, he can probably feel it in his palms. He leans in and looks right into your eyes, into your _core_

JOHN: you really do have red eyes..they’re beautiful.

You hear the clinking of the guards’ uniforms as they walk up to the two of you. 

JOHN: no more hiding stranger- come with me.

HAL: I-

JOHN: it’s dark out and if you tried to walk home how long would it take- don’t answer, either way it’s too long to walk. 

JOHN: besides, i told you, you need to meet casey.

The way he smiles at you, how can you say no.

HAL: Fine..but only for Casey.

The way John takes your hand into his own so easily, it makes your heart melt, you end up tripping over your own two feet as he guides you back onto the path. He looks down at your feet and sighs heavily, he lowers you down onto your knees and takes your shoes, tucking them into your bag alongside all the letters before scooping you into his arms. 

He really is a prince.

HAL: John- John, I can walk. 

JOHN: i know. 

He flashes a smile down at you and squeezes you close as he heads back down the bath, the way you were just leaving. Sighing softly, you rest your head on his shoulder and shut your eyes, trying to ignore the aching throb in your feet. You relax in his hold and for a second you think it’s raining when you feel water hit your cheek, but it’s only in one spot so you open your eyes and tense when you see that it’s John _crying._

HAL: John-

JOHN: i’m okay. i just..i’m happy i finally get to see you, stranger.

Sighing you reach up and pull on your sleeve to wipe his cheeks dry. You’ve never seen his face this up close. The freckles that dust his deep brown skin are a new discovery. You find yourself finally understanding why people say freckles are kisses from angel that blessed someone as a baby. Your brother would tell you that when you’d ask why you have so many freckles. Maybe John is your angel. 

When did you become so sappy, Hal?

He leans into your touch and you smile up at him, resting your head back on his shoulder as you hear the main gates open up. He carries you through them and you watch as the estate gets closer. You wonder how many rooms are in there, you could get lost so easily. You couldn’t imagine growing up in such a place.

HAL: John I-

JOHN: nope, not until i can set you down and clean you off.

And he keeps walking until he uses his foot to push a door open. It’s a large dining area. You’ve only read stories of castles like this. It’s much more beautiful than what you’ve seen in Derse. He walks right past the large table and uses his foot open the next door. Ah, the kitchen. John shuffles over to the counter and carefully sits you down beside the sink. 

You fall silent as you watch him move around, turn the water on, and take your things. He sets them down on the island in the middle of the kitchen and starts wiping your feet down, gentle as they ache. You don’t know what to say. None of this was supposed to happen, you had no time to plan. He smiles up at you and rests his hands on your knees as he leans in, making your cheeks flush with red.

One thing comes to mind.

You place your hands on his shoulders and return the smile.

HAL: Hal.

JOHN: excuse me?

You chuckle and flick him gently on the forehead and slump back, leaning against the cabinet behind you as you sigh.

HAL: My name. 

HAL: My name is Hal, John. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.


End file.
